Gaming news and articles with a strong focus on competitive fighting games

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

3rd Strike: Online Edition Launch Day!!!

12 years ago, the best fighting game ever was released in arcades. Brian and I drove down to Dunellen, NJ in 95-degree heat, with no air-conditioning, to pay 75 cents per credit... and it was totally worth it! Nassau Mall arcade had closed by that time; thanks to Marty and I playing mostly on console at that time (shoutouts to SF EX and Alpha 1 on PS1), we put them out of business. The Dreamcast port came years later and was pretty crappy. The PS2 port wasn't perfect, but it was definitely playable. Newer games came around, and 3rd Strike seemed forgotten... until today!

Even if you've never played 3S, you really should give it a try! It's only $15 and has the best netcode of any fighting game ever. Don't be discouraged when people tell you that only a few characters are actually usable. Unlike in SF4, Dudley and "Grandpa" Ken are in the top 5, and are super-aggressive. Also, there's a ton of fun to be had even with the low tiers. Check out TheShend on Twitter for a ton of Japanese match footage, and you'll see some crazy stuff done with the less-popular characters. Find a character you have fun with, practice your parries, and don't forget to just block sometimes.

Whether you play on PS3 or XBL, add CarmineMac to your friend list and look for me online! I'm going to try to be grinding 3S online as often as humanly possible.